A massive arena for MMA is being constructed in recent days outside the White House, fulfilling the wish of Donald Trump -who is a fan of the sport- after he had floated the idea some time ago. Striking images show a massive UFC octagonal cage on the South Lawn of the complex, ahead of the major event scheduled for next month to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. Specifically, the mixed martial arts fight will take place on Sunday, June 14th, a date that coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday.
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The massive arena outside the White House
The photographs show massive cranes on the White House South Lawn working on the temporary construction. When completed, it will accommodate 5,000 spectators. The plans show that the arena will feature an octagonal “cage” with a stage in the colors of the American flag, an arch with stars like the flag, and two giant screens.
According to the Guardian, somewhere within all this setup, there will also be space for a band!
Trump’s desire for an MMA fight
Trump proposed the idea of hosting an MMA fight in the White House gardens last year during an appearance in Idaho. “Imagine it on the White House grounds. We have a lot of space there,” he said, adding that it would be a “full fight” with 20,000 to 25,000 spectators.
In December, he said the event would host “eight or nine championship fights, the biggest ever held”. Eventually, the event was scaled down and now the program includes only one lightweight championship fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje as the main event, and one fight for the interim heavyweight title between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
The president has long been a fan of mixed martial arts and is a close friend of the UFC president.
